A Year in Review

Over the past semester of my freshman year in college I have changed tremendously, both inside and outside of my composition class. At the beginning of the semester my essays were very vague and I didn’t go into details on specific points. Often times I forgot to make simple acknowledgments to my sources by not introducing my quotes or facts. For example, in my first paper, “Texting While Driving” I would just state facts as: “the first mobile phones to the public for mobile access in 1983.” The correct way would be to give credit to the source that gave me that information would be to say: “According to the Motorola Company,” before I state my facts. Not only does this flow better but it gives credit where credit is deserved.

When I look back throughout the semester I realize how poorly written some of my drafts were and I see all the mistakes I made. Fortunately, I am the type of person that likes to look at mistakes and learn from them. Looking at my papers from Composition I compared to Composition II is like day and night. I feel much more confident about my writing now because I know how to prevent simple mistakes, such as not citing correctly. I also feel like my ethos is clearly expressed in my papers because I will not bash one side of an argument, even if I’m writing a persuasive essay. Ethos can be defined as, “the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc.” I have always been a person to explain things and reveal my own opinion at times, which I feel is evident in my papers. For example in my Rogerian argument paper, “The Legalization of Marijuana,” I stated my own opinion to my audience: “Even though I understand where the pro-legalization groups are coming from, I personally find myself supporting the DEA’s mission and position in the argument over marijuana.” The example of me expressing my opinion shows that I do not discriminate against others in my writing.

Although I made great improvements in my English Composition class, I feel like my best improvements were outside of class. At the beginning of the semester I was initiated into Phi Delta Theta, a Greek fraternity at OU. Throughout my pledge ship I was taught a motto that the founder of my fraternity, Robert Morrison once said: “To do what ought to be done, but would not have been done unless I did it, I thought it to be my duty.” This quote is very simple and to the point, but yet it says so much at the same time. Before I was in college I didn’t realize what life was all about. I thought that having a lot of money and living a rich life is what everyone tries to live for. Morrison’s quote has taught me more than just that, it has taught me to do what is right. When I say do what is right, that doesn’t just mean do homework and things that benefit me, but do things to help people around me.

Over this last semester I have tried to get as involved in helping others as possible. My fraternity requires numerous hours of volunteer work while also requiring participation in Philanthropies. Although there is a requirement, I don’t hesitate to volunteer when I am available. The past semester has also taught me how to study. Entering college fresh out of high school was a drastic change. In high school I could just study the night before and be just fine. Unfortunately, college does not work the same and I feel as if it took the whole first semester to realize that. Since the beginning of this semester, I have not only become better at writing in my English Composition class but I have become a much better person.

Blogs by Famous Athletes and Celebrites

In recent years the use of Blogs have become much more popular and commonly used. A blog is almost like a personal website, except with a blog it is much easier to have readers comment on your articles. Millions of people around the world are becoming frequent bloggers including many celebrities. Yes celebrities are even starting to use blogs. Such celebrities consist of Donald Trump, Jamie Oliver, John Mayer, and even Tiger Woods. These celebrities are making blogs to help bring the public into what is going on in their lives and other small stories around these icons. Theoretically, a blog post is a pretty simple way for a celebrity to get information out because they are just typing there thoughts instead of being heckled by media in a press conference. Another important aspect of blogs is that many people like to follow celebrities and what is an easier way than just clicking a button?

One of the most intriguing blogs that I will personally follow is Tiger Woods' blog. Not only am I a huge Tiger Woods fan, but I am very interested to see how he acts after his recent off the golf course scandals. In his last blog post on April 23, he expressed how grateful he was for all the fan support and he really wanted to congratulate Phil Mickelson on his Masters victory. Anyone who follows Tiger Woods knows that Mickelson is his biggest rival. After Tiger's scandal it seems like Tiger is using blogs to try to send out a positive message to the public that he has changed and is going to be a much nicer guy. This is just one interesting blog from only one celebrity. There are tons more celebrities with blogs so go check them out!

Historic NFL Draft

On Thursday, April 22 the University of Oklahoma made history by having four players drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. More impressively OU had three out of the first four players drafted. The University of Oklahoma was very honored by this years draft, the school even made a Draft Central page on Soonersports.com, the OU athletics website. The first overall selection was quarterback Sam Bradford, who went to the St. Louis Rams. Drafted third overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was defensive lineman Gerald Mccoy. The fourth overall pick was Trent Williams, who was selected by the Washington Redskins. Rounding out the first round was All-American tight-end Jermaine Gresham, who went to the Cincinnati Bengals. Three more Sooners, Dominique Franks, Keenan Clayton, and Brody Eldridge were also selected in the draft.

I personally feel like having so many OU players drafted leaves a great reflection on the University of Oklahoma. These players were constantly on the news and on television which will help the recruiting for OU's program. Over the past 10 years, almost every single OU football game has been televised. That being said technology is helping OU by getting its name out to not only athletes but also to interested students.

Day Without Technology

As technology is evolving into such a key impact in our daily lives, one writer will still not budge. Wendell Berry, who is a former English professor at the University of Kentucky will not buy a computer. Berry is very passionate about his poems and novels but continues to use his typewriter that he purchased in 1956. Berry wrote, "Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer." In his essay he explains how his wife proof reads every one of his works and he does not need a computer to take away a vital part of his life. He makes pivotal points such as, "it should be purchasable and repairable as near to home as possible, it should be at least as small in scale as the one it replaces, and it should do what that clearly and demonstrably better than the one it replaces." Berry makes a great argument that some pieces of technology are just not worth buying especially when older models work just as good.

Recently over spring break I went on a trip to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Unfortunately, I did not have an international cell phone plan which meant I had to go five days without my cell phone. At first I felt like there was no way I could live that long without my phone or talking to any of my friends. Immediately after I said to myself, "I'm at the beach, why do I really need my phone?" Over my five day voyage without my cell phone I found ways to still talk to my friends and keep up with what was going on in the world. I still had my laptop during the evenings because I had to complete an essay over spring break. With my laptop I was able to get on Face Book and talk to friends or email people I needed to talk to.

During the five days I found many activities to do that didn't involve my cell phone. Such activities consisted of golfing at the resort, laying on the beach, and even zip lining. These activities convinced me that I can actually go a long period of time without my phone and still be content. Usually, I just sit around all day text messaging or talking on the phone when I can be out doing something. After five days in Mexico I turned my phone back on and received about twenty text messages, most of them being insignificant. Over my five days I learned that it is not a dyer need to have a cell phone and that it is very easy to manage without one.

I agree with Berry that some piece's of technology are not worth buying but I feel like a cell phone is very important because it can give you access to people, most importantly during an emergency. Berry is strongly against buying a computer which is completely understandable and his right to not want one. Although, Berry's arguments against computers can be easily countered. For example, computers can be easily purchased and repaired at many different stores which Berry said they needed to be. Also, laptops are much smaller than typewriters and a computer can be much more user friendly than a laptop. As stated before, Berry claims that his wife does all of his proof reading, but not everyone who uses computers have the ability to have someone spell check their documents. The advancement of computers have made a huge impact for the general public.